Dish No. 37: Okara at EN Japanese Brasserie

Okara is pictured at right.

Today's pick: Okara ($5) at EN Japanese Brasserie (435 Hudson Street, 212-647-9196).

Featured on the Banzai section of EN's menu, okara is the high-fiber pulp that remains when puréed soy beans are filtered during soy-milk production. In theory, it's not particularly appetizing, but at EN, it's delicious. Braised in shoyu and shot through with tender bits of shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and snow peas, the okara has a crumbly, slightly spongy texture, a bit like overcooked couscous. Its warm, round flavor is both slightly sweet and, thanks to the shoyu, just salty enough. Comforting as porridge, it's the sort of humble, thoughtful dish that epitomizes good home cooking.

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